Enlighted
by Maanuchits
Summary: So this is basically a new and improved version of the show except its naley centric. Nathan Scott's character is pretty much the same as the show but Haley's personality is quite different. Story includes all those missing moments in the later seasons. Rating is for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

He was royalty in the school hierarchy system. Girls wanted him and boys envied him. Standing tall at 6 feet, 4 inches he strode across campus like he owned the place and some would say he did. The small town of Tree Hill was pretty obsessed about basketball and naturally the star player of Tree Hill High becomes a local celebrity. Nathan Scott was the son of Dan Scott and he had a legacy to carry on or more specifically accomplish what his father couldn't. He wasn't misfortunate in the looks department either. With the bluest eyes, raven black hair and a strong athletic built, he had any girl of THH on their knees for him.

It was just like any other school day at THH with students hurrying to their classes while catching up with their buddies, the popular kids huddled up in one corner, their centre of attention being the king himself, Mr. Nathan Scott. Nathan enjoyed the attention but sometimes he wonders why it is important to come and huddle around him when he's just getting his things from his locker for class.

He went along with it anyway knowing it is no trouble being surrounded by these hot girls, damn! Some of these girls have seriously developed (physical aspects of course) since the last time he saw them in junior year. His first morning of sophomore was going good until a certain blonde haired, blue eyed boy walked past him to his locker and automatically half the attention went to him. So Nathan's status was shared by his half-brother Lucas Scott, whom he completely despised.

Lucas Scott was the son that Dan had abandoned and though people felt sorry for him, Nathan was secretly jealous that he never had to deal with Dan. He also seemed to have a wonderful relationship with his mother, Karen, which was something Nathan craved to have with his mother.

His sore mood was completely forgotten when Rachel Gatina, the school slut, began flirting with him. This exchange didn't go unnoticed by Nathan's girlfriend Peyton. Nathan was aware of Peyton's eyes on them but he couldn't care less. She always stuck around no matter what he did.

Nathan was about to head into class when he noticed all the boys around him and in the hallway turned their heads to one direction. He didn't have to look to know who it was but that didn't stop him from looking. Walking down the hallway, towards her locker was Haley James, her long dark messed up yet incredibly sexy locks flowing down her back, helmet in one hand, backpack slung over one shoulder, wearing a tight white top which showed off her rack and tiny waistline with a pair of grey jeans that showed off the contours of her perfect butt and shapely legs. While walking away from them, her body language oozed confidence and indifference to the gazes fired her way.

Haley James was quite a mystery to Nathan Scott. She hardly ever spoke to anybody, pretty much keeps to herself, minds her own business but that doesn't stop her from gaining attention. The only person that she seems close to is Lucas, much to Nathan's annoyance. She seems to be friends with Brooke too but that's probably just coz of Lucas. Haley's father, Jimmy James was a big shot businessman who got convicted for murder 2 years ago. Now he has to serve 7 years in prison. Her Father's news is what brought the spotlight onto her. People talk about her and accuse her of having a shady character which was brought on by her history but she seemed unfazed by it. She rides to school on her ninja 300 bike which has earned her the image of a badass. Some even say that she's involved in drugs and whores around with college boys. Yet she keeps her grades up and also works at the tutoring centre. People who have been tutored by her have claimed that she is a nice person.

Nathan would never admit it to anyone but just like every other guy he was quite smitten by her. This secret attraction did not go unnoticed by Peyton. She thought that playing along to the fake atmosphere in high school would make her feel normal. How wrong she had been! She was more unsettled by the facade especially since she started playing the role of Nathan's girlfriend. She knew that Nathan cheated on her on a regular basis, it wasn't a secret, and it stopped bothering her because she held no real feelings for him either. But all this pretending was turning her nuts and she knew she had to end it. And fast!

Nathan was at practice with his team when whitey called him to the sidelines. "What's up coach", asked Nathan. "I'm switching yours and Lucas' positions", said whitey.

"What?", exclaimed Nathan "coach this is how I've always played. What changed?"

"Coz I know Lucas is a lot more efficient in your position", grumbled whitey. "From now on u will be playing small forward".

Nathan was shocked to say the least. He tried to say otherwise but coach wasn't having any of it. His father would be so disappointed in him. He couldn't let this happen to him. Ever since Lucas made it into the team last year, he has been slowly but surely taking away his life. He had to do something about it and fast.

He was walking towards the school parking lot drowned in his own thoughts when he bumped into someone. That someone happened to be Haley James. She looked up at him with her striking dark eyes and mumbled a coherent 'sorry' and walked towards her bike. Somehow the apology sounded more like a warning as he watched her walk away and that's when he got an idea to get back at Lucas and hopefully get him kicked out of the team. Haley James better watch out!


	2. Chapter 2

P.S. I do not own anything.

CHAPTER 2

Nathan found himself to be quite nervous as he neared the tutoring centre. He wondered if it was wrong of him to not even know that the school had a tutoring centre. He found out about it only when he did a little background check on Haley. Turns out, she has tutored a few guys on the team. Nathan wanted to get back at Lucas and Haley James seems to be the answer to that but Nathan was questioning this plan more and more as he neared his destination.

He entered the tutoring centre and was pleased the she was the only person present. She was standing beside a shelf, concentrating intently on a book. She was wearing a black tank top under an unbuttoned flannel shirt with her skinny fit jeans. Man this girl was hot! And she didn't even have to try.

"Hi", he made his presence known, "you're Haley James right?". He knew who she is but didn't want to sound too obvious.

Haley looked up from her book and got the shock of her life when she saw a smirking Nathan Scott at the tutoring centre although she didn't let her face show. He really was good looking with an equally horrible character. Haley was aware of the numerous times he had bullied Lucas. "ya", she cautiously said "can I help you"?

"Yes you can, you're my tutor", he said handing over the forms to her smirk still in place "I was assigned to you". She checked the forms sceptically and wondered how they could assign another student when she was completely filled out.

"I'm sorry I'm totally filled out, I'll assign you to another person".

Nathan's face dropped. _This plan isn't going too well _he thought. _I've got to convince her somehow. _"Look, I'm failing miserably and my friends told me that you can help me out. Is there some way you could fill me in?"

Haley contemplated on what to do. His sudden greediness to study struck her as odd but she didn't have the right to turn him away. "Okay then, are you up for 7am sessions at the market street docks?"

"Why not at the tutoring centre?" asked Nathan with a questioning look.

"It doesn't open that early and I don't have the keys to the centre and getting it is just extra trouble I can do without", she explained. "so tomorrow 7am, I'll see you then?"

Nathan was quite taken back by her curt responses. Girls usually fawn and giggle around him but her stance didn't even waver. "Okay I'll be there", he said while making his way out of the tutoring centre, "I guess I'll see you then... tomorrow... 7am... alright bye". _What the hell was that?_ Nathan thought as he walked down the hallway. He has never been nervous around a girl before but the way she completely dismissed his charms got to him. _This is going to be harder than I thought._

... = ...

Haley was sitting at a bench near the docks overlooking the river. She has been waiting for Nathan for 10 minutes now and her patience is wearing thin. Last night she told Lucas about tutoring Nathan. He had been quite annoyed at first and a little doubtful that Nathan had approached his best friend of all people but he was eventually okay with it since he was sure that nobody can mess with Haley.

Thinking about yesterday made Haley more aggravated about today. She argued with Lucas for a whole half hour for the sake of Nathan and all that just so he could be late, that is, if he is showing up in the first place. People were right about him, he was devastatingly handsome and cocky as hell. He didn't even bother introducing himself the previous day since the whole town knew who he was and that smirk of his screamed superiority. Haley was so lost in thought about her encounter with Nathan that she didn't notice the object of interest making his way towards her. She finally noticed him coming her way with and that damn smirk plastered on his face annoyed her.

"Morning. I brought you some coffee", said Nathan as he sat down opposite Haley.

_Wow he doesn't even have the decency to apologise _she thought but kept her face composed. "Well how thoughtful of you", she said while grabbing the coffee and walking away with cup towards her bike.

Nathan sat there stunned for a few seconds until he came back to his sense and went after her. "What the hell Haley? Where are you going?" he asked.

She whipped her head towards him, looking angry and hot as hell. "You expect me to wait on you like an idiot while you take your own sweet time?".

Nathan was taken aback for a moment and mumbled a quick 'sorry' kind of feeling afraid of her at the moment. _I shouldn't be scared! She's probably around 5'5". She's practically tiny in front of me._

"Listen I'm bending my rules for you here, the least you could do is come on time"

"I know and I'm really sorry it won't happen again I promise", he said. Once he noticed her relax, he released a breath he didn't know he was holding. She totally caught him off guard today. He knew he was late and was hoping he could charm his way out of it but she didn't even give him a chance. He realized that his usual tricks won't work on this girl he's going to have to try a different, more subtle approach if he wants to impress her.

They walked towards the docks and settled down at their respective benches. They started working on math straight away. Once the session was done she just packed up and walked away after telling him to come on time the next day. _Geesh! Talk about a stuck up bitch _he thought.

... = ...

It had been a tiring day for Nathan. Basketball practice was torturous to say the least. He had to wake up earlier than usual to go for his morning run and make it for his tutoring session. His thoughts drifted to his tutor. The whole day, he found himself thinking about her. At first, Nathan felt annoyed that she is so uptight but once he calmed down he realized that she was like a breath of fresh air. Most girls basically fall at his feet the first chance they get but Haley was the exact opposite. She took none of his crap and put him in his place and in a weird twisted way that made him feel good.

He entered his room thinking about his tutor when he spotted Peyton lying on his bed. _Well I guess I could use a distraction for tonight. _"Hey", he smirked her way. His face sobered upon seeing her tensed face. He has been noticing these days that she is extra moody and most of the time they end up fighting. He's starting to think that this relationship is more destructive than beneficial.

Upon hearing his greeting, she got up and sat on the edge of the bed. "I can't do this Nathan it's over", she said, "And I mean it this time".

"Seriously Peyton are we really gonna do this again?" He was tired of this back and forth game that has been going on with her.

"Yes and this time, I'm ending it for good"

_Damn when did she get so annoying? _"Whatever", he said and started looking into his closet. _This was long overdue anyway._

Peyton was slightly surprised by his dismissal. _I guess now I know for sure how much I mean to him. _This realization was the final push she needed to walk out that door and not look back.

He knew that Peyton had left when he heard the door slam. He expected himself to be at least a little upset but he felt no such thing whatsoever. He should probably feel bad about it but he didn't coz in the end, it's for the best. He stripped down to his boxers and settled into bed, his mind fogged with thoughts about a certain girl. Surprisingly, the girl was not his current ex-girlfriend.

**Please do share your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3

P.S I do not own anything.

CHAPTER 3

"So now all you gotta do is, divide the last term, take the quotient... and ...", Haley was explaining one of the math problems when she noticed the dazed look on his face. They were sat at their usual spot at the docks prepping Nathan up for an upcoming test but he seemed too distracted today. "Hello, earth to Nathan".

Nathan was brought back from his reverie by a hand waving at his face. _Oops I guess I zoned out again. _He looked up to see her looking at him with an amused look on her face. _Man she looks beautiful! Wait! beautiful? Well ya I guess. _Nathan Scott has never called a girl beautiful _until now. I wonder how she would react if I said that out loud. _She gave him a questioning look to which he just shook his head and brought his focus onto the math book in front of him.

It has been two weeks since they started their tutoring sessions and each day Nathan finds himself being more and more captivated by Haley. His attempt at charming her with a subtle approach resulted in him acting like himself around her. Gone was basketball star Nathan Scott and was replaced by the real Nathan when he was around her. He didn't have to act the way people expected him to and that was liberating.

Even Haley seemed to have warmed up to him within the week. He wasn't the kind of guy she thought he was. It was nice to see a sweeter, more genuine side of Nathan and she couldn't help but wonder how many others got to see this side of him. _Probably Peyton _she thought.

"It's okay to miss her you know", said Haley thinking that his recent breakup is the cause for his gloomy mood.

"Who?" asked a slightly confused Nathan.

"Peyton"

"Oh" she couldn't be more wrong. Of course he thought about Peyton occasionally. Breaking up was the best decision she has ever made concerning their relationship. But Nathan couldn't help but feel guilty about the way he had treated her when they were together. "I've treated her quite badly when we were together, shouldn't have done that", he said.

"Well maybe you should have thought about that when you guys were together"

Nathan looked at her with mild amusement. This was another reason why he found her so amazing. She would blindly state the truth not worrying about the situation. Some might call it rude but he finds it endearing. It just shows how innocent she is beneath all that badass exterior.

"What are you my tutor or my therapist?" he smiled.

"Whatever you want me to be", she said as she packed up her stuff to leave.

He watched her walk towards her bike and appreciated the view of her jean clad backside all the while a smirk plastered on his face.

... = ...

Nathan took a deep breath to calm his senses. He was at his father's annual kiss ass party and the party was way beyond boring. It was a basketball union and Lucas was there. Upon seeing him, Nathan was reminded of the real reason why he had pursued Haley. Messing with Lucas would mean hurting Haley and he wasn't happy with himself for thinking of such a thing. Today, when their tutoring session had ended, he kept thinking about her all day. He started looking forward to the mornings he was going to see her and when their session was over, he would miss her. Today, upon seeing Peyton cosy up with Jake Jageilski, another team member, he realised that he's starting to like Haley. Nathan Scott actually has a crush and he has no idea how to deal with it since she is immune to all his charming advances. He felt the sudden need to get some fresh air and headed for the door.

As if the universe was playing a trick on him, he found the object of his interest coming out of the kitchen walking towards the front door._ What is she doing here? _"Haley?" he called out.

She turned around to see Nathan dressed in a formal suit with a sky blue dress shirt that brought out his eyes. _He really looks good. _"Hey" she smiled. He seemed quite shocked to see her and she immediately felt the need to explain herself "I swear I'm not gate crashing. Your mom wanted cakes to be delivered and I was just leaving..."

"Oh no no no I'm glad you're here, this party is really boring. Um... do you want to get a drink?", he said trying to get her to stay.

"um... ya I guess I could..."

From across the room Peyton was witnessing this scene. Peyton and Jake were getting really close this past week but he seemed quite distant at the party today and that drove her to steal Nathan's secret stash of alcohol. Her current frustration increased when she saw her ex-boyfriend talking to the girl who always held his interest. Nathan had hurt her so much when they were together and it angered her that he always gets what he wants. "Well well if it isn't the boyfriend stealing slut herself", called out a very drunk Peyton "So Nathan did you get her to sleep with you yet?" Peyton knew all about his intentions with Haley and for once wanted to deprive him of what he wants.

"Peyton back off", he said. He was feeling very uneasy with this conversation and he looked at Haley to see her giving him a questioning look.

Payton didn't know why but some of her anger was directed towards Haley. "You do realise that he came after you just so he could mess with Lucas right?" she asked the brunette "you're nothing special sweetheart".

"Shut up Peyton", he exclaimed. "look Haley..."

"Look this obviously isn't a good time so I'm just gonna go", she said while walking towards the door. She was getting really uncomfortable in this place.

"Haley wait"

"I'll see you in the morning" she said with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Nathan felt his heart sink as he watched her walk out of his house. He admits that his intentions weren't noble when he approached her but that's not the case anymore. "What is your problem Peyton?" his voice laced with anger.

"I'm just doing the poor girl a favour", said Peyton and walked away.

Nathan let out a frustrated sigh and went straight to his room, wanting to end the night as soon as possible.

... = ...

Haley reached home and ran to her bed and sank onto it. Her house was a humble two bedroom three bathroom duplet which she had bought with the money that he father had left behind. Her father was running a very successful business in tree hill when he was convicted. She had been devastated to say the least when her father was given a sentence of five years. Before beginning to serve his term, he had sold off his company and had left their mansion and an unbelievable sum of money for his only daughter.

Haley couldn't stand being alone in their mansion and sold it and bought this current house she was living in. Her aunt Taylor stepped up to be her legal guardian. Taylor was only a few years older than her and was a wild child and she agreed to sign over all legal rights to Haley for a sum of $10,000. Haley was only happy to oblige.

Despite having enough money to last her at least 10 years, Haley worked at Karen's cafe just because she didn't want to be like all the other spoiled rich kids.

Today at the party, Haley got a glimpse of how life functions among the popular crowd and she was glad with her choice. Speaking of the party, she was quite shaken by Peyton's words. She knew that Nathan probably had some other motive behind approaching her but the way he had been with her the past week had her fooled. He seemed so genuine during their tutoring sessions and she wondered if all that was pretence. She wondered if Peyton had ever broken up with him or if that was all a lie to gain sympathy from her.

She knew she shouldn't feel upset but she couldn't help it. Peyton's words were a reminder of who Nathan Scott really is and that wasn't a pleasant thought. All this frustration was wearing her down and she dressed down to go to sleep, but sleep didn't come to her easily that night.

**Please review and share your thoughts **


	4. Chapter 4

P.S I do not own anything.

CHAPTER 4

Haley was waiting for Nathan while her thoughts were sent into overdrive. She was sat at their usual spot at the docks. Nathan tried calling her several times last night but she didn't dare pick up the phone. Haley knew she was hurt because she was starting to like him and she felt stupid for falling for his charms. She came to the docks half an hour before their tutoring session starts because she was contemplating the idea of cutting all ties with him. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car being parked.

Nathan stepped out of his car and was glad to find Haley sitting at their usual spot. He didn't think she'd show up with the way she avoided his calls last night. He was wondering how to explain himself to her and grabbed some coffee and breakfast on the way to get on her good side.

"Hey. I uh... I brought you coffee", he was nervous as hell since he didn't know how she'd behave. He sat across from her "And breakfast" he said. He brought crack jacks and found a prize packet. He tore open the packet and found a pink plastic bracelet. He looked up at her and found her looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "It's for you", he said slipping the bracelet around her wrist. The fact that she hadn't uttered a word yet unnerved him.

"What are you doing Nathan?", she knew she had to clear things out and this was it "Look all this buster and BS don't mean anything to me so you need to drop the act"

"Haley, look that wasn't my intention"

"So you're saying you actually wanted to study when you approached me?", she asked. He remained silent at that question and that was all she needed. "My job is to tutor you and since that's not what you want, my work here is done". She packed up her things and left for school leaving behind a speechless Nathan.

... = ...

Nathan walked towards her locker with a determined stride. He had to clear things out between them. He liked her and even if she doesn't share the same feelings, he still needed her as his tutor. His grades have visibly improved and it's all because of her. He stopped right next to her and waited for her to acknowledge him since she was currently busy looking into her locker for something. As she noticed him standing next to her she was about to walk away when he grabbed her hand.

"I didn't apologise this morning" he said with a hint of a smile.

She looked up at him and examined his stature. He looked nervous and she found that cute but the events of last night invaded her mind and her body went stiff again. "for what? Trying to sleep with me or making a joke out of me among your friends?"

"Haley I admit, when I first approached you, I was trying to get back at Lucas but now..." he didn't know how to say this out loud.

"Now what?" she prodded.

"I like you", _there I said it. Wait she doesn't look to happy about it dammit! _" I know this is quite sudden but..."

"Are you and Peyton still together?"

"What? No!"

"Well she seemed pretty jealous last night and..."

"I don't know what had gotten into her last night but Haley you have to believe me, this isn't a game for me anymore" he said with hope that she would believe him "My improved grades are a proof of that"

Haley wanted to believe him but a part of her was scared. "Look I believe you but this is too messed up"

"What is?" he asked his voice laced with dread.

"I can't be your tutor anymore, I'll assign you to someone else if you are still interested", she got out.

"What? No! You're being unreasonable here"

"I'm being unreasonable? Look at the reasons you wanted a tutor in the first place... you wanted to sleep with me just so you could mess with Lucas"

"Okay initially I did want to sleep with you but not anymore", he clarified. _Wait! That didn't sound right. _When he saw the look on her face he felt the need to explain himself. "I mean I do want to sleep with you, I mean who wouldn't but not like that... wait... Haley...", he called out but she started walking away from him. He began to run after her when she turned around.

"Just stay away from", she said with a hurt but firm voice. There was finality to her voice and that stopped Nathan from going after her. At that, she walked away from him and he let her.

... = ...

Nathan was doing bench presses at his backyard. His body ached and he knew he was pushing his limits too much but he didn't care. He was too frustrated to say the least. It had been two days since he had that argument with Haley and he was already missing the mornings he got to spend with her. He had visited the docks the past two days in hopes that she would be there but he came back home disappointed. He knew he deserved it and that made him want to punch himself.

He was too occupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice a certain blonde come up next to his bench. "Working hard I see", said Peyton just to start up the conversation.

He stopped his work out and sat up, giving Peyton a hard glare. _Everything would have been fine if it wasn't for her. "_What do you want Peyton?" he spat out.

"Hmph, there was a time when you were actually glad to see me. How times have changed huh?" she tried joking but seeing Nathan's cold glare was her queue to stop. "Okay I'm sorry for what happened at the party".

"Whatever Peyton".

"Come on the situation is not really that bad considering you guys were speaking the very next day". She was feeling too guilty for her behaviour and he wasn't making this easier.

"Yes she spoke to me alright", his irritation growing "To say that she wants nothing to do with me so thank you Peyton for screwing it up".

Peyton took a moment to observe Nathan's behaviour. He has never been so bothered by one girl. Girls never got a chance to get to him, he always moved on. "You like her don't you?".

Nathan averted his eyes away from her. This is not the kind of conversation he wanted to have with his ex-girlfriend. He looked down, suddenly finding the ground very interesting. This action answered Peyton's question and that made her feel more horrible. She was going to set this right.

"I came here to set things right and I decided to help you out", she smiled. Nathan looked at her wearily wondering what she was up to. "You and Haley are going to go on a date planned by me".

"No offence Peyton but I don't think an evening listening to depressing music all day long is Haley's idea of a perfect date", he teased despite getting a little excited by her proposition.

"Which is why I'll be getting a little help from Brooke", she said "and I'll call you later today with the details".

"I don't know Peyton last time we spoke she made it pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with me". He really wanted to talk to her again but she seems to avoid him at all costs. She didn't even pick any of his calls.

"Don't worry leave the convincing to me", she said with determination "you just have to wait for my call and follow my instructions", she said while already heading towards her car. She's going to drive straight to Brooke's to plan this romantic evening and Brooke was the right candidate.

"Hey Peyton", he called out "Thanks". She smiled at him and drove off.

As he watched her drive off, he realised that this was the most decent conversation that he and Peyton ever had._ Hmmm maybe we'd work out as friends after all._

**Please review and share your thoughts **


	5. Chapter 5

P.S I do not own anything.

CHAPTER 5

Haley was having one of the most tiring days ever. She had to stay up last night to finish her English homework followed by a tight schedule the very next day and to make matters worse, one of the waitresses working at Karen's cafe called in sick today so Haley was covering up for her. A lot of people have wondered why she worked as a waitress when she has enough money to last her for the next ten years. Some of the nosy people, who have no idea how to respect a person's private life, had asked her this question and she would respond to them by showing them the finger and a sweet smile.

Despite being a wealthy man, Jimmy James always knew the value of hard work and he wanted his daughter to know this too. He forced her to earn her own pocket money because he didn't want her to turn into a spoilt brat. Following her father's orders, Haley had started working at Karen's cafe at the age of thirteen. When her father was sentenced, her life had completely changed but Karen, Lucas and her job were the only aspects that kept her intact.

Just like every other day, it was quite busy at the cafe and Haley was working at the counter. The sound of the bell grabbed her attention and she looked up to see Peyton entering into the cafe. Haley felt a surge of animosity coursing through her at the sight of the blonde cheerleader whose actions had upset her for the past couple of days. She always felt that Peyton was quite different from the typical horny and purposely stupid cheerleaders. _Guess I'm a horrible judge of character._

Peyton had noticed her working at the counter when she entered but she hesitated to approach her in fear of hot coffee being splashed in her face. She felt like backing out but then remembered her promise to Nathan. Conjuring up the last ounce of courage, she walked up to the counter. "Hey", she said not surprised by the slight quiver in her voice.

Haley was looking at a notepad when she heard a greeting from the last person she wanted around her. Haley wanted to ignore her but she didn't want to create an awkward scene in front all these people so she decided to play the card of indifference. "Welcome to Karen's cafe how may I help you?", she asked in her best waitressing voice.

"Can we talk?", asked Peyton nervously.

"I'm working".

"Look I'm really sorry about what happened at the party. I was upset and drunk and... I just took it out on you guys and I shouldn't have".

Haley looked at her sceptically but the blonde seemed genuine enough so she decided to take the high road. "It's okay... shit happens". She got back to working on the orders written on her notepad when she noticed Peyton still standing in front of her. "Is there something I can do for you?", she was getting annoyed with her presence.

"What's your idea of a proper date?"

_She has got to be kidding me. _"You getting crushed under a truck". _Gosh I really need to work on taking the high road._

"Wow! Were you so charming to Nathan too?", Peyton couldn't help retaliating.

"Listen you little..."

"I've set up a date for you and Nathan", interrupted Peyton "he'll be here to pick you up at 7:00"

"And for some reason you think I want to go on this date"?

"I think he really likes you", stated a third voice. The girls noticed Brooke standing next to them and they both visibly relaxed on having this conversation in the presence of a common friend.

"And I don't care", said Haley while getting back to work.

Haley's dismissal made Brooke want to smack her head. Although she didn't show her feelings Brooke could see right through her act. _"_I need to talk to tutorgirl alone and tell Nathan to come at seven. I'll make sure that she goes on that date".

Peyton gave her a nod and left the cafe. Meanwhile Brooke slipped up next to Haley, giving her an expectant look. "I've known Nathan a long time and I've never seen him pine after a girl... that is until you came along"

"I'm not going".

"But I planned the whole thing and I promise you it's gonna be epic".

"Give it a rest Brooke".

"Please... for me?" Brooke pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

"No way are you gonna get me to go".

... = ...

Her shift at the cafe was over and she was sitting on one of the stools, waiting for Nathan. She tried to recall how Brooke had convinced her to go on this date and so far she was drawing blanks. One minute Brooke was giving her the puppy dog eyes and the next, she was making the best argument of her life. Brooke wanted to dress her up for the date but she escaped from her with the reason of not being able to cut out work early.

Hearing a knock she looked up to see Nathan standing by the door of the cafe. She stepped out and he mumbled a nervous 'Hey' to which she responded with a curt smile. This situation was awkward for them since their last conversation ended in a fight.

"So Brooke gave us these cards which are gonna instruct us on our date", he said wanting desperately to break the awkwardness "you wanna do the honours?" he asked handing her the first card to her.

She opened it up and read it. "There's an address in here. It says to go to this place and on the way say three things you like about each other". They started walking in silence.

After walking in silence for a little while Nathan decided to go first. "I like your hair", he said.

Haley looked at him and smiled.

"I like the fact that you are kind enough to give me a chance here despite everything that happened".

She gave out a small laugh at that and Nathan liked the sound of it.

"I like how honest you are about yourself. You don't hide yourself from anybody".

"I just cannot stand people faking their personality just to get attention", she stated. She had seen enough of such behaviour to know the truth behind them.

"Your turn" smiled Nathan. He was curious to know what she had to say. "Well obviously the first one is that I'm really hot", he said jokingly.

She laughed at that. "Well let's see... I like your eyes, I like the way you smile when you solve a math problem and... you're not horrible to look at", she was blushing by the time she finished. But all the blood drained from her when they reached their location. They were looking at a lingerie store. She should have known Brooke would have this in mind.

"The next card says that we need to buy something for the other person from this store". Nathan was delighted by this idea. _Good job Brooke._ They made their way into the store deciding to split up and get their gifts. They came out of the store, both carrying a plastic bag each, Haley's being smaller than Nathan's. They exchanged their packages and Haley opened hers first.

She pulled out a beautiful satin and lace, cream coloured baby doll. "Nathan this is beautiful", she got out. Nathan just gave her a smirk already picturing her in the outfit. "Open yours", she said with a mischievous look.

Nathan got the shock of his life when he pulled out a golden coloured men's thong. He looked at her with wide eyes and she couldn't help but laugh at him. Never in a million years did he think she would pull something like this. He smiled fondly, liking the fact that she was feeling comfortable around him.

... = ...

The young pair walked towards their third venue and they were quite confused at the sight before them. They were standing at an empty barren land with four tables lying on their sides. There were two sling bags at their feet with a note stuck on them.

"The first who gets hit 5 times will buy dinner", Nathan read out loud "your shields are right in front of your eyes and your weapons are in the bag". Just then, something smacked against Nathan and the next second he was dripping wet. He looked up to see a smiling Haley standing behind one of the tables with a water balloon in her hand which, he supposes, she had pulled out from the bag. "Hey I wasn't ready", he called out just as another water balloon hit his shoulder.

"Not my problem", she was about to throw another one at him but he had already grabbed his bag and taken cover.

Half an hour later, they were still hiding behind the tables wondering what their next move is. Nathan had been hit four times and Haley was hit three times. Haley was inching towards the corner of her table, planning on charging at Nathan. When she was close enough she ran to his side of the battleground, wanting to finish the match but he wasn't there. Just then an arm draped around her and Nathan smashed a balloon on her head.

She tried to scream and break free but he didn't let go of her, the action causing both of them to lose footing and land on the ground with Haley flat on her back and Nathan on top her. This action caused them both to laugh out loud.

Their harsh breathing and laughter died down as they looked into each other's eyes. The atmosphere quickly shifted between them and they were both lost in each other. Haley took advantage of this situation and smashed the balloon onto Nathan's back, the action bringing their bodies together.

"I guess you're buying", she breathed out.

"I really don't care", he said as he closed the gap between them and kissed her.

**Please review and share your thoughts **


	6. Chapter 6

P.S I do not own anything.

CHAPTER 6

Students were walking around in the hallway of THH, getting their stuff for the first class of the week. Haley was walking towards her class when Nathan grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty classroom. Before she had the chance to object his lips descended upon her and like a natural reflex, she got lost in the kiss. But as he began to gain entrance into her mouth, a giggle erupted from her and she pushed him back already missing the closeness of his body.

"We can't do this in here", she wanted to sound stern but her wide smile gave her away.

"We just did" his smile matching that of hers. He wanted to take things further but knowing Haley, he decided to head to class "Okay I'll kiss you later" he gave her a charming smirk and left for class. Haley headed for class too, the smile etched on her face long after he was gone. A month had passed since their first date and Nathan and Haley couldn't be happier with each other. Haley was a little weary of the comments and glares thrown her way from all the females. She remembered the day everyone came to know about their relationship.

She had been so conscious of her appearance that she kept pulling at her outfit. Haley always considered herself an average looking girl and she understood why people were confused that the king of the school had taken an interest in her. However, she expected people to get over it within a couple of days, exactly how they responded when her father was convicted. But as the days went by, the comments kept getting crueller and Haley's patience was wearing thin.

Once when she was at the cafeteria, Rachel decided to make a jab at her. "I heard that sex with fat people was always better" stated Rachel in a disgusted tone "I guess it's true if Nathan's still sticking around".

Despite being the topic of controversies, nobody had ever come outright and said degrading things to her face but Rachel seems to have broken that spell. Haley was about to punch her in the face when Brooke dragged her away. She almost broke down that day but seeing Nathan's face later made it all better for her. The past month was hard but she wouldn't change a thing about it.

She was currently sitting at one of the benches at the parking lot of school, waiting for Nathan, when she heard someone call out to her. "Hey Haley", she turned to see a very hot well built blond haired boy coming her way. She knew him to be one of Nathan's teammates. She was about to return the greeting when she noticed him giving her a once over. "Damn girl you're so fine" he said while openly leering at her breasts.

Haley was about to retort back when her boyfriend beat her to it. "Why don't you try saying that again? I don't think I heard you right the first time", said Nathan who had come up behind her. His voice was low but held a menacing tone which made blondie to stammer a lame excuse of feeding his cat and run away.

A satisfied Haley turned around to face her boyfriend and probably tease him a little about being jealous but she swallowed her words when she noticed his rigid face. She ran her hand along his jaw line and expected him to relax but he didn't.

Ever since her father's news and the arrival of her bike, guys hardly ever asked her out and if they did, they were mostly sleaze-balls but being the star's girlfriend made her the prime target of almost all the male population at school. "Nathan" she called out. He looked at her but he still seemed tense "look you know it's been like this ever since we started dating so there is no point in getting upset about it".

Nathan analysed her clothing and found nothing wrong with it but he couldn't help the words that came out of his mouth next "Maybe you shouldn't wear this top anymore".

"What?" she wasn't expecting him to say that, suddenly a laughable situation turned serious.

"You heard me", his face remained stoic.

"I've worn this top many times Nathan" and nobody tried to hit on her all those times "Besides this is all your fault".

"Me?".

"Yes! All these boys seem to want whatever you have and that includes me"

"So it's all my fault now?".

"No it's not, just like how it's not my fault either". _This conversation seems so unreasonable._

"Except for the fact that you're trying to grab attention by dressing like a...", he stopped his words before he got too far. He felt guilty for even thinking of saying such a thing.

"A what Nathan?" she pushed him knowing exactly what it was, her voice sounding hurt. His silence aggravated her even more "I'm really not interested to talk to the ass standing in front of me right now, why don't you tell my boyfriend to come find me later" with that said, she got onto her bike and drove away.

Nathan didn't make a move to stop her since he was too busy composing himself. A lot of guys have hit on het ever since they started dating and they were all testing his patience. He knew it was wrong of him to take his anger out on her but it was like his mouth had a mind of its own. He had never seen her so hurt and he felt ashamed that he was the cause for that. He'd go over to her place later and apologise but first he needed to formulate what to say to her.

... = ...

Haley came to a halt at her door, not bothering to park her bike and just left it at side stand on her front porch. She opened the door, threw her bag on the floor and dropped onto the couch. She hadn't felt like crying in a long time and it amazed her how much power Nathan's words had on her. He had never behaved like this to her and she was beginning to feel insecure about their relationship. She had never felt this way about a boy before and if scared her to no extent.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked around at her living room. The place needed cleaning up and that is exactly what she was going to do to distract herself from her rising panic. Once she was done cleaning up she decided to finish up her English homework. That fact that Nathan still hadn't showed up didn't slip her mind.

She went up to her room and was about to grab her laptop from the table when she realised that her homework was in Nathan's laptop, the very laptop which was lying on her table. He had brought it for her last night since her system crashed. _At least he'll come for the laptop if not for me! _

She opened up the computer wanting to start working on her assignment but she completely forgot where she had saved the file named _Penn rights. _She opened the search box and typed up 'pe'. A number of files showed up and she was about to type the rest when a file named _Peyton _caught her eyes. She knew it was wrong to snoop around but curiosity got the better of her. She opened up the file and the content made her heart literally ache. In the folder were images of Peyton in her closet. A few of them had images of her wearing a towel around her. She seemed to have just come out of the shower but in the next few images, she was topless.

Haley was highly disturbed to see these images but quickly consoled herself saying that he probably saved these while they were dating. The poor clarity of the image shows that the pictures were taken from her webcam. Haley immediately checked the date that these snaps were taken. She breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that these pictures were taken at a time before they even met. Her relaxed state was short lived since she questioned as to why he hadn't deleted theses photos yet.

Haley had always feared that she won't be able to compete with all those other girls that Nathan had been with and this thought made her sick because it was true. Though they were together for almost a month and a half, they never had sex because she wasn't ready for it. Nathan had assured her several times that it was something he would wait for her to feel comfortable with. She felt like she was living a fairytale with his words until these images shattered all her expectations. She even began to wonder if Nathan had cheated on her while they were together. She couldn't hold onto this thought for long since she had to attend to whoever was knocking on her door.

She waited for a moment to wipe away her tears and compose herself during which the knocking became more persistent. She walked over to her door and opened it, not bothering to look into the peephole. Upon seeing the person on the other side, her eyes began to well up with tears again.

"Haley I'm so sorry?" he was about to start on his apology straight away, not giving her a chance to speak but his words dissipated when he noticed her troubled look and her eyes brimming with tears.

She left the door open and walked over to her room. Nathan was a little confused on what to do but he followed her into her room and shut the door.

**Please review and share your thoughts **


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you like this new chapter.

CHAPTER 7

The room was quiet, the atmosphere thick, the occupants of the room tensed for two different reasons. Both lost in thought debating in their heads on how to start the pending conversation, their minds drifting to their train of thoughts a few hours ago.

Nathan had gone straight home after school. He wanted to go to Haley's place but thought she might need some space to cool off. He wanted to slap himself for almost calling her a slut. Of course he didn't mean to but he couldn't control the words coming out of his mouth. He thought back to the time when he told her that he loved her for the first time.

_A month ago..._

"Hey, please call me back, I just wanted to know where you are, I hate how we left things", she spoke into the phone. She wanted to say more when someone responded to her.

"So do I", Nathan was standing by her bedroom door with a defeated look on his face. He had collapsed on court today and the last thing that he thought about was getting to Haley and telling her how he felt. His father had pushed him too much and in an attempt to break his father's record, he had used performance enhancers. He was doing exceptionally well on court until his body gave out due to dehydration and he collapsed on court.

"Nathan! Why did you run off like that? We were so scared" Haley was so relieved to see him. He had been taken to the hospital but after he gained consciousness, he ran away from the premises without letting his family know.

"I'm so sorry Haley", his voice sounded so broken "I just wanted my father to stop" he almost let a sob out. He behaved in a brash way with Haley when she started worrying about his behaviour in the morning. He didn't mean to be rude but he was afraid that Haley would find out what he was doing and be disappointed in him. He still was.

"What happened to you? The people at the hospital won't tell me anything", she knew something was off about him the whole day but she figured he was just tensed about the game.

"I took some enhancers", he looked at her and she had shock written all over her face. She took his hand in hers and led him towards her bed. They sat down at the edge of the bed. Nathan was nervous about her reaction, his only comfort being her hand still holding his.

"Why did you do it?" Haley was scared of the answer but she had to know.

"My father kept driving me so hard and I was so blinded by that", talking about his father was hard for him but he had to do it for Haley "I just wanted to break his record and get him to back off. I was so scared today at the court. I told myself that if I could just reach you then everything would be alright".

Haley began to hate Dan on a whole new level. She was happy that Nathan had confronted to her out of all people. She hated to see him so broken and wanted to make the pain go away. Instead of saying anything she placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips. When they broke apart, their foreheads touching, they breathed in each other's scent.

"I love you" Nathan couldn't take it any longer he had to tell her how he felt. She pulled away from him completely and he was greeted with her shocked expression. He looked at her expectantly and she let out a small smile. This action caused him to release a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Haley was caught off guard by his confession but elated all the more because she felt the same for him. "I love you too", letting those words out felt like a stone was lifted from her chest.

Until this moment, Nathan had never known the true power of being so connected to someone but her words let him know that he could trust her no matter what. He wanted to say something but Haley had already closed the gap between them and kissed him. They fell back onto her bed.

The kiss started off slow but soon became more passionate as they moved their bodies to the centre of her bed, Haley lying on her back with Nathan on top of her. Haley snaked her hands around his neck in an attempt to bring him closer and Nathan's hand went lower until he reached the hem of her shirt. He slipped his hands under her shirt to feel the soft skin of her stomach, the action causing the shirt to rise above her abdomen. When air became necessary they broke apart only to have Nathan sucking on her neck. This caused Haley to let out a moan. She was lost in the sensations she was experiencing due to his mouth and his hands on her heated up skin. It wasn't until his fingers grazed against the underside of her breast that she came back to her senses and suddenly slipped away from under him and sat up on the bed within the span of 2 seconds.

"What the hell Haley?" Nathan was beyond frustrated and had no intentions of hiding it. His frustration turned to confusion upon seeing her nervous posture. "What? What happened?"

"I haven't done this before" she said.

"Haven't done what?"

"This!" she pointed between the two of them.

Nathan found it adorable that she was sceptical around him and he couldn't help ease her doubts. "Haley I love you and I just want to be closer to you" his voice was soothing as he placed a little kiss on her forehead "I have never felt this way about a girl before and I just can't get enough of you" he tried to kiss her again.

"No Nathan we can't" she stopped him placing both her hands on his chest and pushed him away.

Nathan was hurt by her actions. _Didn't she say that she loved me? _ "I don't get it Haley. You say you love me but I don't seem to be special enough to be closer to you" his voice was rising at the moment "I would really like to think I mean more to you than all those other boys who got to be with you..."

"There is no other boy!" she exclaimed in an equally loud voice. There was a moment of silence and Haley saw a flicker of shock spread across his face but he quickly recovered himself.

"What do you mean no other boy?" he asked.

"No one has ever slept with me or rather I have never slept with anyone ever" she explained. She wasn't stupid, she knew all about the rumours in school. All that commotion was just because she dated a college boy for two weeks. "So yeah basically I'm a virgin".

It was Nathan's second chance to look shocked. He never considered her a slut but he could have sworn that she would have had a boy in her life that she was physical with, or at least that's what the people in school said. It's not like she never got the chance, she was gorgeous as hell.

"All those rumours were false" she wanted to help out in his state of confusion "apparently getting a bike is like wearing a placard saying **I'm a slut!**" she let out a smile in the end. On the inside, she was nervous as hell. She didn't know how he would react to this.

Nathan was amazed by the person in front of him. So much has happened to her in the last two years and yet she was strong enough to not lose her way at all. She could have drowned her sorrows through anything – be it Drugs, alcohol, her morality – but she held her head high and dealt with the pain head on. "I can't believe I got so lucky with you".

Haley blushed at his comment and gave him a small smile.

At that moment, he saw how innocent she really was and he realised the level of trust she held for him and he could never let her down. "Haley I promise you, it's never just about the sex for me as long as you are concerned. I love you so much and when you're ready, I'll be ready". He gave her a loving smile which she reciprocated with one of her own. They both lied down in bed, wrapped up in each other, relishing in the emotions running through them until sleep took over.

_Present day..._

That was one of the best days of their lives. It was also the day that Nathan decided to never let her go which brought him to his current duty of apologising. "Haley I'm really sorry about what I said, I was just getting so frustrated about those guys and... I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you". He looked at her to gauge her reaction.

She still looked hurt and that was his queue to explain himself even more "look I've never felt this way about a girl before so I don't know how to deal with all this..." he was struggling to find words and decided to just take a deep breath "Before you, I was with girls who wanted me just for my popularity, I mean they were just a fantasy..."

"Is Peyton a fantasy too?" interrupted Haley.

Nathan was confused by this question until she turned her laptop screen towards him and an image of a topless Peyton filled the screen. These were a few screenshots Nathan had taken when he was dating Peyton. Nathan had completely forgotten about that folder. _Until now!_ "Haley these were taken long back, her webcam's not even in her closet anymore".

"I know that Nathan but why haven't you deleted it yet?"

_Does she think I cheated on her? _"Do you seriously doubt me here?" he was getting aggravated with her accusations "I totally forgot about that folder"

"I think I have a right to doubt you. After all, these girls were able to give you something that I couldn't"

_Is she worried about sex again Am I pressuring her too much? _"How many times do I have to tell you? It's not about sex for me anymore"

"So you say" she knew she was being unreasonable here but here insecurities are getting the better part of her. "You don't get it! Peyton is not one of those bimbos, you liked her"

Nathan wanted to give her a harsh retort but stopped himself when he saw the hint of insecurity flash across her face. Haley was pretty good at hiding her emotions and to the whole world she seems to be wearing a steel facade but Nathan could see right through her. "Yes I liked her" he watched as Haley held a pained expression "but I never loved her. You don't get it Haley! I can't even look at another girl these days" to which Haley let him know with her eyes that she didn't believe him one bit. "Okay that's not exactly true, but all of them come short to you no matter what they do"

"Yeah right" she snorted.

"It's true. You're the only girl I have ever loved and I don't want anyone else I just want you, just the way you are. When everything seems to fall apart, you give me the strength to get back up" he never exposed himself so much but he wanted her to know how much she meant to him "so naturally I would get pissed off if someone tried to take you away from me. I admit I didn't deal with the situation in the best way but..." his words were cut off by a pair of lips descending upon his. He was a little shocked but immediately responded to her kiss.

She was brimming with emotions during his speech and she couldn't take it any longer. So she kissed him with all her passion. They were making their way towards her bed. Nathan sat down at the edge of the bed with Haley straddling him neither of them breaking the kiss. He let out a groan of frustration as Haley pulled away from him and got up from the bed and stood in front of him. She looked quite nervous and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside.

**Please review and share your thoughts **


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you like this new chapter.

CHAPTER 8

Nathan was at a loss for words. Haley had just thrown away her t-shirt leaving her in a black bra and her jeans. His heart was beating a mile a minute. Every bit of her looked gorgeous and Nathan was trying hard not to lose control. He knew she wasn't ready for sex, it was a really big deal for her, but the look in her eyes told him a different thing.

He loved her and he wanted her, the bulge in his pants proved that but he didn't want her to do something that she would regret later. "Haley, we don't have to..."

"It's okay", she said as she straddled him and joined their lips together, "it's okay", she reassured him when he didn't kiss her back. He slowly started responding to the kiss and snaked his arms around her torso and held her to him. He fell back on her bed, bringing her along with him, not breaking the kiss all the while. His tongue swirled around her bottom lip, seeking entrance which she granted. He shifted his position so that he was on top of her.

When air became an issue, they broke off the kiss, only to have Nathan suck on her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access while her hands tugged at the hem of his shirt. He detached himself from her neck momentarily in order to remove his shirt. He threw the piece of clothing away but before kissing her again, he took a moment to look at her. Her face was flushed and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her chest was heaving and her nipples were erect through the material of her bra. When he looked into her eyes, he saw all the love that she held for him. Haley James hardly ever let people into her life and yet she decided that he was worth her affection. He knew that he would treasure this moment forever.

When he kept looking at her without doing anything, she grew a little worried. _Does he not want this? _She was a little hesitant about taking their relationship to the next level but she felt she could trust him and that was a feeling she didn't get to feel very often. Finally, she saw a small smile grace his face and she returned it. A moment later he was kissing her with all the passion he held.

He broke the kiss, their faces mere inches apart from each other. Their breathing ragged. She ran her hand along the side of his face and he kissed her forehead. "You're the one true thing in my life Haley, I could love you forever".

"So could I" she whispered and she meant every word of it. The way she felt right now, she knew she wouldn't be able to share it with anyone else. They both shared a small smile and rejoined their lips together. Before long, clothes were strewn across the room and they were both naked on the bed, Haley lying on her back with Nathan on top of her.

Nathan couldn't get enough of the sight before him. Every bit of her looked breathtaking and he loved the fact that nobody else got to see her like this. His eyes roamed around her body once again trying to engrave all her curves and edges in his mind.

She didn't know what to make of his heated gaze. This is the first time she has exposed herself to anyone and knowing Nathan had seen better made her very self conscious suddenly. She wrapped her arms around her chest in an attempt to cover herself but not for long since Nathan had grabbed her wrists and pried her hands away from her body.

"No don't". He interlaced their fingers on either side of her head, "you're beautiful". He kissed her lips sweetly before trailing his lips lower and lower along her neck until he reached her breasts. He flicked his tongue along her right nipple before taking the nub in his mouth. She moaned out loud at his actions. After giving the same treatment to her left breast, he kissed his way back up her body until her reached her lips and gave her a soft kiss.

"Condom", in his lust filled haze he had totally forgot about protection. He tried to move away from her but she held him back.

"It's okay I'm on the pill". Nathan found the urge to ask why she was on the pill when she has never had sex before. She started kissing him and running her hands all over his back and all his thoughts flew out the window.

He reached his hand between them and placed himself at her entrance. "Keep your eyes on me Haley". She nodded her head yes. "This might hurt a bit". He slowly entered her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They both gasped loudly at being connected intimately. Her face held a pained expression for a moment before pleasure took over. Nathan kept a slow pace, wanting it to last longer.

Unlike her, he had done this before but it still felt like it was his first time. He felt completely connected to her, mind body and soul. Before long, her body convulsed and she was screaming his name. He felt her walls tightening around him and that was his undoing. He buried his head in her neck as he filled her.

They took a moment to catch their breaths, relishing in the feeling of having their bodies pressed up against each other. Nathan slowly pulled out of her and lied down on his back. Haley moved to her side and wrapped her arms around his torso and his arm snaked around her shoulder. They didn't say anything, still relishing in the experience they had shared until sleep took over their senses.

... = ...

He had been awake for over three hours now, just watching her. She was sound asleep and she looked so peaceful and beautiful. When he usually stayed over at her place, she would wake up before him but tonight was different. He had woken up at 3 a.m. and couldn't seem to go back to sleep. He was too happy. Last night was amazing and he hoped she felt the same way.

His thoughts were interrupted by movement beside him. He looked at her to see her eyes opening up and adjusting to the morning light. "Hey" he smiled.

She smiled back at him and he felt his heart breaking all over again.

"How are you feeling?" he was a little worried about her. It was her first time and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Wonderful" she smiled, "last night was wonderful".

He interlaced their fingers and kissed the back of her hand. Then he moved forward and captured her lips with his. Their kisses grew more heated and Haley wanted to take it further but Nathan seems to have other ideas when he pulled away from her.

He was getting lost in her kisses when he remembered something he needed to ask her. "How come you're on the pill?"

"You see before you, I used to pick up random guys from a bar and have steamy sex with them on my bike", she joked. She laughed out loud at seeing him narrow his eyes at her, "I don't know! I guess deep down inside I knew that I was gonna take that next step with you", she shrugged, "I got on the pill just a week after we started dating".

"So even then you wanted to jump my bones", he smirked, to which she giggled. "Now where were we?" he got back to kissing her. He reached between them and pulled away the sheets covering her body. He let his hands roam around her naked body while he plunged his tongue into her mouth. Before long, they were joined again, enjoying the blissful pleasure. It wasn't long before they were riding out the waves of pleasure.

Once they were totally spent and caught up with their breaths, Haley moved away from him and picked up the sheets from the floor. She wrapped it around her body and walked over to her attached bathroom. She stopped at the door and turned around to face him. Nathan didn't understand what she was doing.

"You want me to join you?" he asked with a cocky air. _It's not like I haven't thought about it before._ He was lost in thought about his various fantasies of Haley in the shower. He had a goofy smile on his face.

She knew what that smile meant and it wasn't helping her current situation. "Turn around".

"What?" he wasn't expecting her to say _that. _"Why would I do that?"

"I want to take a shower and I can't take these sheets with me into the bathroom", she explained.

"You're kidding right?" he chuckled, "I'm pretty sure I've seen it all last night".

Haley narrowed her eyes at him. "Exactly you've seen it all last night so it's not like you're missing out on anything".

"What if I want to see it all again?" he taunted.

"Nathan!" she whined.

"Okay okay", he chuckled but turned around anyway, "I still don't understand the point of this". Actually he did know the point of it. She was feeling insecure around him. He expected her to be comfortable after last night but that wasn't true. _Hmmm I'm gonna have to change that soon._

She didn't bother responding as she dropped the sheets at the foot of the door and stepped into her bathroom.

Nathan turned back around at hearing the bathroom door close shut. Haley is a beautiful girl but she never believes him when he says it. He knew that part of her insecurities is due to his history with women and he was determined to change that. He couldn't ponder long as he realized that he needed to get ready for school. He grabbed his clothes from the floor and decided to take a shower in the bathroom adjoining the other bedroom.

**Please review and share your thoughts **** do you like it? Don't like it? Let me know!**


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you like this new chapter.

CHAPTER 9

Haley was lying on her couch doing her trigonometry homework. Things were going great between her and Nathan. She was still not a hundred percent comfortable around him and he's probably getting tired of her behaviour but she couldn't help it. Nathan was so good looking and the girls he has been with were so gorgeous. She was nothing compared to them. She was constantly worrying about her looks especially since all the girls at Tree Hill High seem to look at her with disgust.

She couldn't ponder much into her thoughts as she heard knocking on her door. She looked at her wall clock. It was midnight and she wondered who would visit her at this time of the day. Her body tensed as thoughts of serial killers and rapists invaded her mind. She grabbed her father's 'Billy Hamilton' autographed baseball bat from the shelf and walked over to her door. Her door didn't have a peephole so she opened her door slightly to see who was on the other side. She relaxed as she saw Nathan standing on her porch.

She opened the door wide for him and the sight before her made her drop her bat. "Nathan what happened?" she was mildly panicking at the sight before her. Nathan was standing before her with a split lip and a black eye.

"I kinda had an argument with my dad", he choked out. He was barely keeping it together. He felt like he might break down any minute now.

Haley didn't know what to do. She grabbed his hand and led him inside to the kitchen. She led him towards a stool at the counter, "sit". He did as she told while she examined his face. His lip was swelling up and the area around his right eye seemed to be getting darker by the minute. She went into the common bathroom to retrieve something to clean up his wound and also grabbed a pack of frozen peas from the refrigerator on her way back. "Hold this to your eye", she handed him the frozen peas and then poured antiseptic liquid into some cotton, "this is going to sting a bit but I need you to hold still", she said as she dabbed at the wound on his lip.

"Haley It's not as bad as it looks", he tried to stop her.

"Your lip is bleeding, that's certainly not a good sign", she tried to approach him again.

"Haley I'm fine", he didn't want her to worry too much, and it didn't even hurt that much, "I just need to wash it off".

"Will you please just let me do this", she yelled out, her eyes brimming with tears. She was trying really hard to stay strong for him but there was only so much she could handle. Her father had never behaved like this with her. She didn't think it was possible to hate anyone as she hated Dan at the moment. _How could someone do that to their own son? _

Nathan didn't utter another word as she cleaned up his wound. The liquid stung at his lip but he didn't react to the pain. Once she was done, she went to putting things back into their rightful places. He got up from his stool and placed the peas in the refrigerator. When he closed the door, he found Haley standing beside, looking at him with glossy eyes.

He placed a hand on the side of her face and gave her a small smile. "Thank you", he didn't know what else to say. He desperately wanted to kiss her but knew that wouldn't be a good idea.

She closed her eyes and a lone tear flowed down her cheek. He brush brushed it off with his thumb. Next thing he knew, Haley had wrapped her arms around his chest and embraced him. She laid her head on his chest and he held her back like his life depended on it. She was so overwhelmed by the emotions running through her. She wanted to know what had happened but before that she had to prepare herself to be strong enough.

She pulled her head away from him and looked into his eyes, "are you hurt anywhere else?" she was afraid what the answer might be.

"No" he said, "fortunately this is all that Dan could manage".

She nodded her head numbly. She grabbed his hand and led him towards her living room. They both sat down on her couch, neither speaking a word to each other for the longest time.

"What happened?" she asked.

Nathan took a deep breath, "My mum's cheating on my dad", he was still trying to absorb this information, "and my father found out".

"So you're not Dan's child? Is that why he beat you up?" _Who would do such a thing?_

"No!" he laughed despite the situation, "what made you come to that conclusion?" she just shrugged in response, looking a little embarrassed. Only she can make him laugh without even trying. Silence followed after Nathan's laughter died down. "My dad was drinking when I got home", he swallowed the lump in his throat, "he started blaming me for being stuck with my mother instead of following his heart and marrying Karen", his voice almost turned into a whisper, "next thing I know he was throwing punches at me, blaming me for ruining his life".

"Please tell me you hit him back", she hoped that Nathan had plundered him.

"Ya I think I broke his nose", he smiled, "there is only so much I could take without retaliating".

"That's my boy", she smiled back but it was forced, "how could your father blame you for something that happened before you were even born?"

"My father always loved Karen", it was hard to talk about his past, "he knew about her pregnancy only after he married my mother for getting her pregnant".

"So somehow he thinks it's your fault? That's crazy! Is he high or something?"

"He was drinking", he still remembered the look in Dan's eyes when he walked into the room. It was one of disgust, "he kept going on about how I made his life miserable", a lone tear escaped his eyes.

She wiped it away hating to see him so broken.

"I know Luke is your best friend and I know he's a good guy", he looked into her eyes, "but I just can't help hating him for having the better life".

It all hit her like a ton of bricks in that moment. She remembered how cold Nathan was towards his brother. He eventually stopped but it still angered her that he was treating Luke badly without any reason at all. She could see it so clearly now. He was jealous of Luke, jealous that he had a loving mother and an uncle who would die for him. Nathan never had the privilege to grow up in such an atmosphere. He never had a home, just a house where strangers lived together.

"Move out Nathan", she had been meaning to bring up this conversation with him ever since he collapsed on court but held herself back in case she was crossing her line, "you can live here".

Nathan was speechless. Was she suggesting that he move out? He was 16 for god's sake. "What? Haley! I can't do that".

"Of course you can it's not like you need to pay rent or anything, I own this house".

"Haley my dad will cut me off granted I manage to get away from him in the first place".

"You can get an annulment", she really didn't want him to go back to that hell hole, "with your mother's affair and your father's harassment, I think you can put up a good case".

"Haley I'd be living off of you, that's not right, plus don't you think it's weird that you and I would be living together?"

"I have enough money to last us for at least the next ten years so unless you lose all that money in a poker game, I think we're good", she smiled at him, "and it won't be like a live in relationship, you can have the guest room".

Nathan looked at her sceptically. This sounded more like a well mapped out plan. "This isn't the first time you thought about something like this did you?" he smiled.

She looked away from him for a moment. "Frankly I've been thinking about it ever since you collapsed on court", she looked back into his eyes "you deserve a better life Nathan. That's not a home you're living in".

Nathan's mind was clouded. Haley's preposition sounded really tempting but it's not an easy decision to make. No matter what she says, he knows that this step would change their relationship. He didn't know if it was for the better or worse. He hoped for the better.

"I know this is all very sudden but it's okay", she ran her hand along the side of her face, "just think about it okay?" she understood why he would freak out. Not many 16 year old boys move out of their house to live with their equally young girlfriends.

Nathan could only give her a small mod. She was always there for him, being his rock whenever life got hard. He never felt so cared by anyone before. He never had the chance to experience what a real family is. Looking into her eyes he felt like she was his only chance at having a real family experience. He took a hold of her hand on his face and kissed the palm of her hand.

"I love you so much", his heart was swelling up at the moment, she held a beautiful smile on her face and he knew this was his chance at happiness, "okay I'll think about it".

**Please review and share your thoughts **** do you like it? Don't like it? Let me know!**


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you like this new chapter. I'm really sorry that it has been a while since I've updated.

CHAPTER 10

_Beep beep beep beep. _She woke up by the blaring noise of her alarm clock. Without even opening her eyes her hands slammed down on the offending object ruining her peaceful slumber. She turned back around and cuddled into the large warm body beside her but the person next to her seemed to be having other ideas as said person started caressing her bare side. She felt a shiver run through her as his fingers traced the underside of her breasts.

"Well someone's awake", she said as she opened her eyes slightly, he was smiling at her and she couldn't help but return it. He looked adorable with his dishevelled hair and sleepy eyes, "hey".

Instead of returning her greeting, he kissed her. The kiss started off slowly but within a few seconds it grew more heated. He pulled away the sheets from between them so he could have better access to her gorgeous body. His hands started caressing her all over and his tongue was exploring hers. She ran her hands along his lower back until she reached his backside and squeezed his. This action let him know what she wanted and he immediately positioned himself between her legs and thrust inside of her. They both lay still, getting accustomed to each other until he started moving again. She met him thrust for thrust. They drove each other through the edge and before long, they were screaming out in ecstasy.

... = ...

Haley stepped out of the shower, still thinking about this morning. She smiled to herself as she thought about the several mornings that started out like this ever since Nathan had moved into her house. Of course he had his own room but only to keep his things. He mostly slept over at her room or she went over to his room.

Nathan was quite hesitant at first since it was a big move on his part. He managed to get emancipation without going through much trouble. His father was furious with him as expected but his mother seems to oddly understand his actions. After all, he was taking a step and cutting ties with Dan, something she couldn't do after all these years.

Nathan thought a lot about his mother these days, about how much she has been through all these years and loving a man who loved another woman. He got finished with his shower, dressed up for school. He walked into the kitchen and upon noticing that Haley is still getting ready, started making breakfast.

Haley finished getting ready and decided to head to the kitchen. She was greeted with the sight of her gorgeous boyfriend making breakfast.

"Good morning", he smiled at her and gave her a chaste kiss. "I thought I'd make breakfast today".

Her smile started to fade away at that piece of information, "You're cooking?" she was trying not to panic.

Nathan looked up and laughed out loud at her expression, "relax it's just toaster waffles, I'm not gonna burn it this time".

"You sure? Because last time, you almost burned down the house trying to cook a meal"

"I did not! You're just exaggerating the situation". He was going to say more but the waffles popped out and he had to finish off with the butter and syrup. He set up a plate for both of them and they started eating their breakfast, talking about their classes.

Once they were done, Haley cleaned up the dishes and was about to get her bag when she spotted Nathan giving her an expectant look. "What?"

"Admit it"

"Admit what?" she knew exactly what he was talking about but decided to rile him up a bit.

The smile on her face let him know that she was playing him, "that those were the best toaster waffles ever".

She tapped a finger on her chin, pretending to be in deep thought, "Hmmm... I guess it was okay!"

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. He knew she was just trying to rile him up, "just okay? Come on Haley admit it! That was the best breakfast ever" he asked as her walked closer to her.

"A little high on yourself aren't you?" she raised a brow at him. He just shrugged to which she let out a sigh, "I guess that was a pretty good breakfast".

"Yes! I knew it", he fist pumped the air and Haley just rolled her eyes at his antiques. Ever since he started working at the pretzel shop at the mall, he seemed to have taken an interest in coking. Nathan has this weird obsession in being good at what he does. She grabbed her bag and walked out with him taunting her about how amazing he was.

They reached school in Nathan's car and they got out. Haley missed her bike but she also enjoyed driving with Nathan. She hadn't taken five steps into the school premises when Brooke Davis screamed her name from a few feet away.

Haley, along with a few other people on campus turned their heads to the bubbly brunette. Brooke was making her way over to Nathan and Haley with Lucas on tow. It was evident that Lucas didn't want to come by the look on his face. "Hey weird married couple", ever since they started living together, Brooke had mercilessly teased Haley about secretly getting married because she was pregnant. Haley tried several times to correct her that they were living in separate room but to no avail. She finally gave up on correcting her friend.

"Hey Brooke", she turned her head towards her best friend who looked very uncomfortable, "Hey Luke". Ever since Nathan had moved in with her, Lukas' visits became less frequent. To her relief he still spoke to her at school though.

"Hey Haley", he gave her a hug and gave a Nathan a nod, "Nate".

"Luke", he greeted back. Things were still awkward between them and they were trying their best to get along for Haley's sake. The four teenagers started walking, Haley and Brooke engrossed in their conversation with Lucas and Nathan following them in silence.

"So Haley, let's go to Tric tonight, Fridays are open mike nights", suggested Brooke with a side glance at Nathan. She tried to appear as casual as possible.

At hearing Brooke's suggestion, Haley turned to Nathan with a knowing look, "I thought you would keep a secret", she turned back to Brooke, "and you suck at being subtle".

Nathan looked at her sheepishly, "come on Hales you're really talented and you have to try it out". A week ago he spotted Haley strumming her rusty old guitar and singing along. She had a beautiful voice and he asked her why she hadn't performed for anything yet. She just brushed it off by saying she wasn't good enough. Ever since then, he had approached several people who could convince Haley to sing at Tric. He even sucked up his pride and spoke to Lucas but even Luke couldn't change her mind.

"Come on Haley we've known each other for over two years now and you never sang for me", said Brooke, pouting her lips at Haley.

"I don't think this is a good idea Brooke, I already have enough attention for all the wrong reasons I don't want to get more attention for a nervous breakdown on-stage".

"Oh please! You are so dramatic! Nothing's going to happen plus we'll all be there to support you".

"Come on Haley it'll be fine, I know you have a beautiful voice. What's the worst that could happen?" Lucas chipped in. He had tried to convince her long before Nathan approached him. He had almost given up on convincing her but ever since she started dating Nathan, she seemed to be a lot bolder and also seemed to be caving in right now.

"Let's see, I could totally suck on stage, have people kill me by throwing rocks at me and since I'm such a wonderful person and since you guys love me sooooo much, you all die of depression which ultimately leads to a horribly year for basketball and cheerleading" she finishe off with a cheeky smile.

All three of them looked at her like she was crazy. It was Lucas who finally spoke up "seriously?"

Haley just shrugged in response and continued walking.

"Haley, trust me when I tell you that you have an amazing voice", said Lucas, "you have to come out sometime. I know why you are hesitant but you really need to step out of that shell".

"Yeah", Brooke chipped in, "plus you ride around town in a motorbike without giving a damn about what others think and yet you don't have the guts to sing in front of a small crowd? What happened to being bold?"

She hesitated a bit at first and looked at Nathan. He had an encouraging look on his face and she made her decision right then and there. "I hate you!" she exclaimed while narrowing her eyes at Nathan.

Nathan knew what that meant. "She'll be there", he smiled and gave her a hug. Brooke cheered out loud and Lucas came in to give her a side hug.

"You are gonna be great tonight", Nathan encouraged her further. She just wished his words were true or else she would be the laughing stock of Tree Hill.

... = ...

Tric was always crowded due to the fact that it is the only club in town. Haley was nervous as hell. She has never played in front of anyone other than her father and her music teacher. Of course Nathan had heard her play but that was against her will. He sneaked in on her. It was open mike night in Tric and each act was more horrible than the previous one. Haley was sure that she could easily outshine these amateurs if only she could get rid of her nervousness.

Nathan was standing behind her, running his hands along her shoulders in an attempt to soothe her. Haley was up next and the guy who was currently singing was pitiful, he knew she could do great but she was just too tense. "Up next, Haley James", announced Karen, who happens to be the owner of Tric. The crowd went a little silent. Everyone in Tree Hill knew about Haley and her unattractive history.

Nathan leaned down to her height. "You are going to do great, you just have to relax", he whispered into her ears. That was the last amount of courage she needed. She took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage. Normally, when a performer steps onto the stage, the crowd applauds in an act of encouragement but this crowd was too curious to think about general politeness.

She looked utterly gorgeous in her emerald blue dress. Her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun and minimal make-up just to accentuate her eyes and lips. A lot of young men at the club appreciated the sight of the girl on stage and took a new interest in this performance especially a certain green-eyed shaggy haired man.

She took a seat in front of the keyboard, facing the audience, made some adjustments with the mike stand so as to bring it to her level and took one last look at the audience before she closed her eyes and started playing. Her fingers moved with such grace and surety, never hitting a wrong note and maintaining perfect tempo. It was blatantly obvious to the audience that she is not new to the instrument. The audience was pleasantly surprised at how this show was turning out to be.

Haley was in a trance, where she envisioned herself playing to her father and no-one else. Then she began singing. Her voice sounded like liquid gold, flowing with such ease. The natural crispiness in her voice added a dramatic effect on her singing style. She had her eyes closed and had no idea that the whole club was clinging onto every sound that comes out of her mouth.

Nathan couldn't get over the sight before him. As cheesy as it sounds, she looks and sounds like an angel. He couldn't believe that the girl on stage was the same girl who would shy away whenever he asked her to sing for him. Before he could wrap his head around the sense of pride he was feeling, the solid four minute act came to an end as she hit her last notes.

As she finished, she opened her eyes and looked at a very silent crowd, all with blank faces. _Was I really that bad? _She might not be a pro but she was pretty sure she sounded much, much better that the previous acts, _yet they get applause? _Before she could think too much about it, the crowd starting applauding, some eve shouted out and a certain shaggy haired guy just looked on with respect. She stepped out of stage and ran straight towards Nathan, who had his arms wide open for her. As she reached him, he scooped her up and spun around, both oblivious to the people watching them. He put her down and they shared a sweet kiss filled with affection.

"You were so great out there", he said as he kissed her forehead, "I am so proud of you, gosh you were so beautiful tonight", he looked her with complete and utter admiration for his girl.

She felt like she might turn into a puddle with the way Nathan was looking at her. He would never know how he had helped her. This was the first time, since her father's conviction, that she felt like Tree Hill has finally accepted her. She was always insecure that she couldn't be great at anything other than academics. His extreme measures to get her to perform are what made her realize how wrong she was. "Thank you so much for forcing me into this", she choked out, her eyes tearing up towards the end but the smile on her face showed that she was anything but sad.

They were about to kiss again when a voice interrupted than. "Haley James", called out a male voice. Haley turned around in Nathan's arms to come face to face with a tall, skinny guy with shaggy brown hair. "You have a wonderful talent you know", he held out his hand, "the kind of talent that pros possess", he smiled at her.

"Thank you so much", she shook his hand. She expected him to turn around and go but he had other plans.

"I'm currently working on an album, covers of some of the greatest hits", he said with pride.

"You're a producer?" Haley was elated by the prospects of this conversation.

"No I'm an artist", he corrected her, "my producers were looking for a female artist and I feel you would fit perfectly", he smiled at her again loving the look of shock and excitement written on her face. She looked so beautiful and her expressive eyes weren't helping either. _The higher powers really took some time to create this one _he thought.

Haley was stunned. She didn't expect people to like her performance much less get an offer to record. She looked at Nathan and he held the same excited look in his face. "Wow", she breathed out, "I don't know what to say".

"Say yes".

"Yes! Of course! Wow!" she couldn't believe how amazing this night has turned out to be.

The man held out his hand for her to shake, "the name's Chris Keller".

**Please review and share your thoughts **** do you like it? Don't like it? Let me know!**


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you like this new chapter. I'm really sorry that it has been a while since I've updated. I was on a study tour and I didn't carry my laptop with me.

CHAPTER 11

Nathan was lying on his back in his room. He was busy tossing a miniature basketball in the air. With his intense look and creased forehead, anyone would think that he was concentrating on the basketball but his mind was elsewhere. He caught the ball and was about to toss it in the air again but temptation to look towards his alarm clock won over. The clock showed that the time was 2:30 in the morning. He sighed heavily upon realizing it had only been ten minutes since he last checked the time.

He tried sleeping two hours ago but sleep wouldn't come. His mind was too disturbed. His current state of uneasiness had something to do with his girlfriend who was not home yet. It had been like this ever since that fateful night, the night when Chris Keller came into their lives. Haley was out recording with Chris and most of the time she manages to reach home at an ungodly hour. She spent time with her boyfriend whenever she had free time but it doesn't seem to be enough. He feels like she is slipping away from him and that thought completely terrified him. To make matters worse, Nathan never really took to liking Keller either. This feeling of animosity seems to arise from the fact that Chris seems to have developed a crush on his girl. It was blatantly obvious to everyone except Haley. She seems to think the world of him. Every time she comes home, their conversation mainly consists of whatever silly thing Chris had done. Nathan was happy for her, happy that she was getting such a good opportunity but somehow he feels left out from the equation.

He was not going to express his feelings since he was sure that would upset Haley and he didn't want that. As if on cue, he heard the front door open and shut close. He decided to put aside his basketball and feign sleep. He was sleeping in his room and he knew that she would always come to greet him before going for a shower. However, this time she had other ideas as he heard another door shut close and assumed that that was the sound of her bedroom door. He felt a little hurt by this. The fact that she always kissed him and even slept in his bed every day was the only thing consoling him these days. He heard her shower running and decided that instead of lying on his bed and moping, he might as well just go to her.

Haley was exhausted but that wasn't the only thing that was bugging her. Something happened in the studio today that she hadn't planned for. She felt extremely guilty for it and that's why she didn't go to Nathan straight away. Ever since she started recording at the studio, she never seems to have time for anything else. She always slept over in Nathan's bed because that was the only act that assured her that she still has him. But she didn't want to go to him tonight, she had to get her thoughts straight. Haley always believed in speaking the truth no matter how bad it is. Besides, it is practically impossible for her to hide anything from Nathan considering he can literally read her like a book. She was done showering and felt a lot better. She sighed heavily thinking about the awkward conversation ahead of her. She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped outside the bathroom. She was going to talk to Nathan as soon as she got dressed but she didn't have to wait for that since he was already sitting on her bed.

Nathan smirked a little at the sight of her dripping wet in just a towel. His smirk widened when he saw that her face had turned red at his open leering. It was nice to know that he still had that effect on her.

"Nathan!" she exclaims, not knowing what to say to him, "hey. What are you doing awake?"

"Waiting for you", he says, deciding to be honest for a change, "I don't get to see you very often these days".

"I know and I'm sorry. It'll all go back to normal once I'm done recording", she missed spending time with him too, "It'll probably just be another couple of weeks or so".

He nodded in response still not convinced. He couldn't help feeling like Chris was purposely extending their studio hours. He looked over at her and couldn't help thinking how hot she looked in just a towel. He wanted to get rid of the towel and have his way with her but she seemed quite tensed. She was fiddling with her fingers and trying to tighten the towel around her body like he was a stranger leering at her.

"Haley, what's wrong?" he asked.

"What? Nothing... N.." she stammered a bit and realized that her hands were shaking, she took in a shaking breath, "Nothing's wr-".

"You're lying", he cut her off. She was horrible at hiding herself from him. It annoyed him a bit that she feels the need to lie to him. "What's wrong Haley? What are you not telling me?" his voice was soft but she knew the underlying firmness that said he wanted the truth.

She took in a deep breath. He was not going to like what was coming next but she had to be honest. "Chris kissed me", she said in a whisper.

"What?" he heard what she said but was having the hardest time believing her. He was going to kill Chris for this. But at the time he was more interested in what further explanation she has.

"You heard me", it was bad enough that it happened but making her say it again is only going to make it more real. She liked living in this place of denial at the moment.

Nathan stood up and opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it and started pacing along her room. He was so frustrated with this situation. He knew that Chris was interested in her but he never expected the punk to act on it. "Did you kiss him back?" he was dreading the answer but he had to know.

"No!" she exclaimed like it was the most ridiculous question, "No! I pushed him away. I didn't even see it coming". Haley was getting scared of his reaction at the moment. She stepped forward and grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop his pacing. "Nathan I would never do that to you, you should know that. I know I spend a lot of time with Chris but I really thought that he got the point that I'm taken".

"Did you really make it clear to him?" he was trying to control his temper to no avail, "Because like you said you have been spending an awful lot of time with him" he bit out.

Haley can't believe what she's hearing. "Are you accusing me of leading him on?" she asked with venom in her voice. There was a long pause and her eyes were already brimming with tears when he didn't say anything. She tried to walk out of the room but he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

"No look I'm sorry I didn't mean it", he couldn't stand seeing her upset and she seemed genuine, "I don't know why I said that, I just..." he took in a sharp breath to control his temper, "you're my girl. I don't care if I sound like a caveman but it's the truth".

"I am and you have every reason to be upset but you have to trust me when I tell you that I didn't encourage it in any way", she explained. She relaxed a little when he seemed to calm down at her words.

Nathan felt himself relaxing a little by her words. She was the best thing that happened to him and his worst fears are of losing her. He was still going to kill Chris but he couldn't stay angry at her for this. "I believe you, it's not you I'm mad at".

"I love you Nathan and I never want someone like Chris to come in between us".

He was calm but still not happy with the turn of events. "I want you to stop seeing him", he knew it was wrong of him to indirectly ask her to give up the recording but he couldn't help himself. He was not okay with someone even touching her the wrong way but this guy went ahead and kissed her. She was a talented person and she can get other opportunities if she tried.

Her eyes widened in shock. He was asking her to give up this opportunity for one silly reason, "Nathan it was just one silly kiss. I'm sure he won't make the same mistake again", she tried reasoning with him.

"Haley you are a very talented person and I'm sure there are other opportunities for you out there but I am not okay with you working everyday alongside with Chris".

Haley looked at him in shock. She felt so confused about what to do. She looked up at him and he seemed to be rigid in his stance. She understood why he was acting this way but was she ready to give up such an opportunity? "Nathan opportunities like this don't come every day", she tried reasoning with him.

"I know but I cannot stand the idea of you spending time with him anymore. He crossed a line Haley".

She choked back the words coming out of her. Determination was written all over his face and it kind of scared her to think of what he would do if she were to go against him. "Okay", she knew that he was not going to change his mind, "I'm never gonna see him again", she said. "At least not willingly", she let out a shaky breath. She decided that opportunities come and go but she couldn't afford to lose Nathan.

He let out a small smile at her declaration but his smile faded when guilt seeped into his system. "I'm really sorry for asking you to do this".

"No it's okay. I don't want anything to come between us either. I'm sorry it happened in the first place".

"No don't be", he couldn't let her blame herself, "you are not responsible for this" he placed his palm on the side of her face, " I love you okay and I don't ever want to lose you".

"Love you too", she smiled at him and leaned forward. He met her halfway and kissed her.

As the moment got more heated he remembered that she was still in her towel. He smiled against her lips and broke free from the kiss.

Haley was confused when he broke away from the kiss. She got even more confused when he walked backwards until he reached her bed and sat down, all the while keeping his eyes on her.

For a few minutes he just kept looking at her. Haley belonged to him and he's not okay with anyone even looking at her the wrong way. He still cannot accept the fact that Chris kissed her. However Haley was innocent in all this and he always felt amazed by her loyalty and commitment and knew that she couldn't be blamed for any of this. "Take off your towel", he said. His voice was soft but held a commanding tone.

She knew what his look meant. She was about to walk over to him when she heard his voice telling her to remove her towel. Colour rose up her cheeks and she felt a little nervous all of a sudden. She felt silly to be nervous considering Nathan had seen all of her plenty of times. She took a deep breath and pulled at her towel free such that it fell in a bundle around her feet.

His breath caught up in his throat. He was always amazed at how beautiful she is and he took so much pride to know that he is the only guy to have seen all of her. He took a moment to drink her in. Haley belonged to him and he intended to show her that tonight.

... = ...

She had not slept a wink. The initial traces of sunlight peeking through the window let her know that it was almost morning. She turned in her bed to look at the gorgeous boy sleeping next to her. He was wrapped around her like a vine. She always felt safe and protected when he wrapped his arms and legs around her while sleeping but today, for the first time, she was finding this act a bit suffocating.

She was tired due to the events of last night but she couldn't sleep. A small smile traced her lips at the thought of stuff they did on this very bed. It was one of the hottest experiences they have shared and Nathan's need to keep whispering possessive words to her throughout their session made it all the more exciting. Her smile faded again at the thought of the promise she made. The thought of losing Nathan terrified her and that was the sole reason why she agreed to stop recording with Chris. But as the day set in she started questioning her decision. Opportunities don't come like this every day. She felt quite hurt that Nathan was asking her to give it all up just because he couldn't get over his insecurity.

She took one more glance at his sleeping face. He looked so innocent with his messy hair. He was lying on his front and his toned sculpted back was exposed to her delight. Today she would have to go to the studio and tell Chris that she needed to back out. It wouldn't be too hard a task considering no contract that was signed. Who was she kidding? Of course it would be hard! She loved her brief experience at the studio and she was going to miss it very much. Haley felt Nathan stirring from his sleep beside her.

He tightened his arm around her and nuzzled his nose against her neck. "Hey", he smiled, as he opened his to reveal his beautiful blue orbs to her.

Haley greeted him with a soft kiss and gave him a small smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was engulfed by thoughts of losing something of very high significance in her life and it terrified her to realize that she didn't know what she was going to lose. She didn't know if she was going to lose her dreams or her boyfriend within the next 24 hours.

**Please review and share your thoughts **** do you like it? Don't like it? Let me know!**


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